Can Downton shoot down Strictly this Christmas? ITV and BBC go head-to-head on the big day

The smash-hit shows are to be placed at the heart of their festive schedules
Downton Abbey to be screened at 9pm while Strictly Come Dancing airs later

By Paul Revoir

Last updated at 2:05 AM on 24th November 2011

They are two of the biggest TV hits of the broadcasting year. But now Downton Abbey and Strictly Come Dancing are to go head to head on Christmas Day in the annual battle for millions of festive viewers.

The broadcasters are placing the smash hit shows at the heart of their festive schedules and will compete to be the most watched programme on December 25.

ITV are set to put the ratings-winning drama - starring Hugh Bonneville and Dame Maggie Smith, on at 9pm - while Strictly is set to air in a slightly earlier slot.

It's war: ITV and the BBC prepare to go head to head with their most popular shows - Downton Abbey (pictured) and Strictly Come Dancing

This comes as terrestrial broadcasters are expected to air more than 380 hours of repeats between them in the two week period around Christmas Day.

BBC1 and BBC2 are between them almost certain to air well in excess of 100 hours of repeats in the fortnight up to December 30, including a Royle Family special and the Two Ronnies.

According to the first drafts of festive schedules, ITV will air something like 120 hours of repeats and old films including Santa Clause: The Movie, Polar Express, E.T, Miracle on 34th Street, Towering Inferno, Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets and The Railway Children.

Channel 5 is also set to break the century mark for repeats over the period, with tens of hours also expected for Channel 4 as well.

Festive foxtrot: The BBC will be pulling out all the stops with its Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special - but it will screen the programme earlier than Downton Abbey's 9pm start

These figures are only a start as channels have yet to finalise what will appear, with a much larger slew of old shows expected when the time comes.

But amidst all the vintage programming on ITV, the festive instalment of Downton Abbey is the stand-out programme in its Christmas line-up.

While not all details are known about the episode, it will see the introduction of Nigel Havers as the suave Lord Hepworth who is said to bring romantic intrigue to the series, by charming Earl Grantham’s sister Lady Rosamund.

Meanwhile, the celebrity edition of Strictly Come Dancing features Hi-De-Hi favourite Su Pollard, boxer Barry McGuigan, singer Simon Webbe, comedienne Debra Stephenson, EastEnders’ actress Charlie Brooks.

Familiar favourites: Both networks are expected to pad out their festive schedule with repeats of popular programmes, such as ITV's Midsomer Murders (pictured)

As tradition requires, ITV is packing its schedule with repeats of shows like Midsomer Murders, Poirot, Miss Marple, You’ve Been Framed.

Other films are set to include Notting Hill, K-9, Cats and Dogs, Gladiator, Vertigo, Happy Feet, March of The Penguins and King Ralph.

The BBC has only released a fraction of its schedule, which apart from children’ s programmes such as Horrible Histories Horrible Christmas also includes repeats of The Two Ronnies Sketchbook and The Royle Family Christmas Special. Observers are predicting that there will be more repeats than ever this year as a result of the financial climate.

Among the other shows set to challenge Strictly and Downton Abbey over the Christmas period will be Ray Winstone starring in an adaption of Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, the Doctor Who Christmas special as well as the soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street.

The BBC is also showing adventure film The Borrowers, starring Stephen Fry and Victoria Wood and a re-working of Jim’ll Fix It with Shane Ritchie and and animated version of the hugely popular children’s book, The Gruffalo’s Child.